This recipe for Vegan Chicken-Style Tofu Cutlets is pressed and sliced firm tofu coated in breadcrumbs creating a delicious, golden crust.
With these delicious Breaded Tofu Cutlets, you can either bake them in your oven or fry them in oil until browned and crispy. Serve simply with Cesar Salad or as Tofu Parmigiana for a delicious dinner that everyone will love.
How to Make the Tofu Cutlets
This easy tofu cutlet recipe is easy to make and comes together in just over 30 minutes.
- Use a tofu press to press a block of firm tofu.
You can also wrap the tofu in paper towels and set a cast iron pan on top to press it if you don’t have a tofu press.
We use a tofu press because it’s a lot less messy and it works a lot better than the paper towel method. But you do you! Use what you have. - Set-up three shallow bowls with your coating ingredients. One bowl includes the flour. The next bowl is a mixture of cornstarch, water, and a dissolved bouillon cube or a teaspoon of bouillon base. Add Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs to the third bowl.
- Once the tofu is pressed, cut it in 8 even slices. Then, dip each piece of tofu into your coating bowls—flour, cornstarch/water/bouillon, breadcrumbs—in order.
- Finally, place the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Or you can pan-fry the tofu in vegetable or coconut oil until the outside is brown. When the tofu is fried up, place them on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
I personally prefer to fry the tofu in oil because it gives the crust a much deeper brown color.
As you can see, this recipe for breaded tofu cutlets is so easy to make and use ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
How to Serve Vegan Chicken-Style Tofu Cutlets
You can serve this recipe with so many different dishes. Cut them up and toss them in a salad. Add sauce and cheese for a yummy tofu parmigiana. Dip them into ketchup, vegan ranch, or vegan honey mustard. You can serve them on a sandwich or in a wrap. And so much more!
We have a few other cutlet options as well if you like these!
- Seitan Parmesan: A soft, buttery rendition of a cutlet! This is made with beans and is perfect for so many classics.
- Chicken-style Seitan Cutlets: These cutlets are protein packed and can be super crispy if fried. We eat these with pasta, pizza, sandwiches and more!
Crunchy and crispy breaded tofu cutlets. Easy and simple to make. Perfect for cesar salads, tofu parmigiana, and more! Delicious and firm tofu dredged in flour and breadcrumbs. Bake or fry in oil – your choice!
- 14 oz extra-firm tofu
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 bouillon cube* (see notes)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
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If baking, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Press the tofu block using a tofu press for 10 minutes. Once pressed, drain the tofu and cut into 8 slices.
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Set-up 3 shallow bowls with your breading ingredients. In the first bowl, add the flour.
In the second bowl, add the water and use a whisk to dissolve your bouillon cube or bouillon base, then add the cornstarch and whisk to combine.
In the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
Dip each tofu slice in each bowl, one by one. First in the flour, then the water/bouillon/cornstarch, then the breadcrumbs. Coat evenly.
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Spray cooking spray evenly along the parchment paper. Place the tofu cutlets on the baking sheet. Then spray cooking spray lightly on top of the tofu slices. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
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In a large pan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Add each slice one by one but avoid over-crowding the pan. Pan-fry each tofu slice until golden brown on the bottom, then flip over and pan-fry on the other side. Place finished cutlets on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
*Substitute the bouillon cube with 1 teaspoon “Better Than Bouillon” base or substitute both the bouillon cube and the water for 1/2 cup vegetable broth.
nutrition values are estimates and based on the baked tofu cutlet recipe
